Timberwolves, Josh Howard agree to deal, pending physical

Josh Howard of the Utah Jazz moves the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 15, 2012, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Wolves have agreed to a one-year deal with the free-agent small forward. (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

When Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman learned Chase Budinger would be out three to four months with a knee injury, he knew the team couldn't go that long without help at the small forward/shooting guard position.

Adelman and Wolves President David Kahn agreed that the injury-plagued team needed to add a player, and they came up with Josh Howard, a versatile 32-year-old forward who has been trying to get back into the NBA after being passed over in free agency this summer.

If the 6-foot-7 Howard, coming off two knee surgeries the past two years, passes a physical examination with Wolves doctors, he is expected to sign a one-year contract with the club Friday, Nov. 16, for the veteran minimum of $1.229 million based on his nine-year career in the NBA.

"I'm just a surprise waiting to happen for anybody who picks me up," Howard said in an interview last week with the Washington Post. "Of course, I am at the end of my career, as far as what they consider older guys, but I've got a lot left in the tank."

Howard, an all-star in 2007 with a career scoring average of 14.7 points per game, could play Friday night in the Wolves' game against Golden State at Target Center. It would be his first NBA game since he finished last season with Utah, where he started 18 of 43 games and averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Adelman said he would like to play Howard at least "five to six minutes in each half" to relieve Andrei Kirilenko, who played 44 minutes Wednesday night in the Wolves' 89-87 loss to Charlotte.

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Adelman didn't seem concerned that Howard might be asked to play without having a full practice with the team.

"He's been around long enough to be able to pick up things," Adelman said. "We've cut back a lot of what we're doing offensively because of the injuries. He should be familiar with a lot of the stuff we do. We can run sets that won't bother him. His conditioning is what you have to worry about."

Howard was not re-signed by Utah and became an unrestricted free agent. He received interest from Brooklyn, Chicago, Charlotte, Philadelphia, New York and San Antonio but had no contract offers.

Adelman and his staff watched Howard work out in Dallas on Monday while the team was there to play the Mavericks. While with Washington, Howard had surgery in February 2010 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He had follow-up surgery last summer to remove a loose bone chip in the knee.

Howard insisted during his interview with the Washington Post that he's healthy.

"I'm back to normal, as far as my knee," he said. "I have no problem with it. I'm back to lifting weights just like I used to do when I was in Washington before my ACL tear. I worked out for some teams before the season, and they told me I looked great."

Howard can play both forward positions, and he has postseason experience. He has appeared in seven playoffs, six with Dallas, which selected him in the first round of the 2003 draft, three positions after the Wolves selected Ndudi Ebi.

"Most guys care where they end up," Howard said. "I just want to be someplace where guys come in ... night in and night out, and play hard. That's ultimately how I want it. Of course, I'd like to be on a championship team if that can happen, but I'm going to give it my all no matter what."

"I watched him on TV growing up," Wolves forward Derrick Williams said of Howard. "He plays hard. That's what we need right now, another guy who can defend two-guards (shooting guards)."

The Wolves (5-3) had only nine healthy players against Charlotte and were down to eight for Thursday's practice after releasing free-agent guard Will Conroy to make room on the roster for Howard. The Wolves were at the 15-man roster limit before releasing Conroy but did not qualify for an injury exception from the league.

Teams at the roster maximum must have at least four injured players sidelined at the same time for at least two weeks to merit consideration for an injury exception. The Wolves have three -- Kevin Love (broken right hand), Ricky Rubio (torn left knee ligaments) and Budinger, who is not expected back until March after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.